Paperboard display stand



Jan. 5, 1960 MAlRs ETAL 2,919,815

PAPERBOARD DISPLAY STAND Filed May 28, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR 2 W fl'L ammu ATTOR MEY 1960 T. G. MAIRS ETAL 2,919,815

PAPERBOARD DISPLAY STAND Filed May 28, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR 1 Thomas 6. Mains Frank W Lac/re Mor'fan 5. Jameson Q0 W m T9 1101 ATTORNEY United States Patent T PAPERBOARD DISPLAY STAND Thomas G. Mairs, St. Paul, Frank W. Locke, Minneapolis, and Morton B. Jameson, St. Paul, Minn., assignors to Waldorf Paper Products Company, Ramsey County, Minn.

Application May 28, 1956, Serial No. 587,758

. 8 Claims. (Cl. 21113'5) This invention relates to an improvement in displays and deals particularly with a paperboard display stand useful in the merchandising of various items such as bakery goods.

Various types of paperboard displays have been made for use in displaying food products and the like. Some of these displays are provided with a plurality of shelves upon which the goods to be displayed may be positioned. Most of these displays are expensive to manufacture and are difficult to set up. It is an object of the present invention to provide a display which avoids these previous difficulties.

- A features of the present invention resides in the provision of a display having a series of superimposed shelves upon which the goods to be displayed may be supported. These shelves are supported entirely from a central partition point and from a rear wall so that the front and sides of each shelf are open As a result a good display of the products may be obtained and the articles on the shelves may be seen from anywhere forwardly of the display.

A feature of the present invention resides in the fact that the entire display is constructed of a single elongated strip of paperboard such as corrugated paperboard. By folding the elongated strip in a proper manner the series of superimposed shelves may be produced. The central supporting partition members are foldably connected to the shelves and are cut from the body thereof to avoid the necessity of providing extra or separate parts in the assembly.

A feature of the present invention resides in the provision of a display which is formed of two U-shaped portions of corrugated board with the bases of the two portions vertically aligned and with the sides of the U: shaped portions extending horizontally. Partition members are cut from the body of certain of said U-shaped members to fold down into vertical position and to form a central spacing member capable of holding the U-shaped members in properly spaced parallel relationship.

A further feature of the present invention resides in the provision of a display of the type described having a display card which extends upwardly substantially in the plane of the bases of the U-shaped members. The upper side'of the uppermost U-shaped member is provided with an elongated slot extending parallel to the foldable connection between the top side of this member and the base thereof. A cover panel overlies this uppermost side of the upper channel member and a flange connects this cover panel with the display panel. The connecting flange and an adjoining portion of the display panel may be inserted through the slot described so as to hold the display panel in an upright position.

These and other objects and novel features of the present invention will bemore clearly and fully set forth in the following specification and claims.

2,919,815 Patented Jan. 5, 1960 In the drawings forming a part of the specification:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the display in its assembled condition.

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the display illustrated in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a sectional view through the forward part of the display, the position of the section being indicated by the line 33 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a diagrammatic view of the blank, on a smaller scale, from which a display is formed.

The display is indicated in general by the numeral A. When properly folded and erected, the display appears as is best illustrated in Figure 1 of the drawings. However in order to understand the construction of the dis- 7 play, reference is made to Figure 4 of the drawings which shows the blank of the display in diagrammatic form. The display A includes a bottom panel 10 which is shown as generally rectangular in shape. This bottom panel 10 is foldably connected along one edge by a fold line 11 to a wall panel 12. This wall panel 12 is foldably connected along a fold line 13 to a lower shelf wall 14. The shelves of the display are of double thickness and the panel 14 forms the lower or under thickness of the shelf. The lower shelf panel 14 is foldably connected along a fold line 15 to the upper layer panel 16 of the lower shelf.

The shelves of the display may be rectangular or may be tapered so as to be narrower in the front of the display as in the particular form of construction illustrated. The forward edge of the panels 14 and 16 which is defined by the fold line 15 is substantially narrower than the fold line 13 connecting the shelf panel 14 to the vertical wall panel 12. The forward edges of the panel 14 are notched as indicated at 17 and the forward edge of the panel 16 is similarly notched as indicated at 19. As the panels 14 and 16 are contiguous, the notches are similarly shaped.

The shelfpanel 16 is foldably connected along the fold line 20 to a vertical wall panel 21. This wall panel 21 is foldably connected along a fold line 22 to a shelf panel 23. The shelf panel 23 is foldably connected along a fold line 24 to a similar shelf panel 25. In the particular form of construction illustrated these shelf panels 23 and 25 are shaped similarly to the lower shelf members 14 and 16 respectively. In other words the forward portion of the shelf member 23 is notched as indicated at 26 and the shelf panel 25 is similarly notched as indicated at 27.

The shelf panel 25 is foldably connected along a fold line 29 to a connecting flange or panel 30. This panel 30 is connected along a fold line 31 to a display panel 32. All of the fold lines which have been described to this time are in substantially parallel relation.

In the erected form of the display, which will be later described in detail, the panels 10, 12 and 14 are folded into U-shaped form. In order to hold these panels in this form with the shelf panels 10 and 14 in parallel relation, a partition panel 33 is formed in the shelf panel 14, this partition panel 33 being foldably connected to the panel 14 along a central fold line 35. The partition panel 33 is equal in Width to the vertical distance between the panels 10 and 14 when these panels are in horizontal position. Thus when the edge 36 of the panel 33 which is opposite the fold line 35 is resting upon the surface of the panel 10, the panels 10 and 14 will be parallel.

A means is provided for holding the panel 33 in vertical position. The panel 33 is provided with an arcuate slot 37 therein which is of substantial Width and which provides a locking tongue 39 having an arcuate outer surface 40. A notch 41 is provided at the extremity of the arcuate groove.

A locking flap 42 is hingedly connected along a fold line 43 to the panel 10. This flap 42 is provided centrally with a slot 44 which is of proper size to extend over the projection 39. The fold line 43 is so located that when the partition panel 33 is resting upon the surface of the panel 10, the flap 42 may be folded up over the locking tongue 39, this tongue extending to the slot 4-4 and locking the partition panel in its vertical position.

A partition panel 45 is also provided in the shelf panel 16 and is connected thereto along a center fold line 46. This partition panel 45 is similar to the partition panel 33 but is positioned on the opposite side of the center of the display member so that there will not be an opening entirely through the display shelf when both of the partition panels are folded at right angles to the shelves to which they are attached. The partition panel 45 is provided with an arcuate slot 47 therein which communicates with the free edge 49 of the partition panel. This arcuate slot provides a tongue 50 which serves as a locking tongue for folding the partition panel 45 in a vertical position.

A locking flap 51 is integrally connected to the partition panel 23 along a fold line 52. The flap 51 is provided with a slot 53 therein of proper size to accommodate the locking tongue 47. When the partition panel 45 has been folded up in the vertical position, the flap 51 may be folded downwardly, the tongue 50 extending through the slot 53 and locking the partition panel in its vertical position.

In some instances it has been found that the upward folding of the partition panel 45 detracts from the surface appearance of the lower shelf. In such a case, the partition panel 45 is hingedly connected to the panel 23 so as to swing downwardly from the upper surface of the display and so that the free edge of the partition panel rests upon the surface of the panel 16. In such an event the locking flap 51 is positioned in the shelf panel 16 rather than in the shelf panel 23 as previously described.

An elongated slot 54 extends transversely of the shelf panel 23 adjoining the fold line 22. This slot 54 is of proper width to accommodate the paperboard in doubled form. In the assembly of the display, the flange 30 is folded into surface contact with the display panel 32. Both of these parts, the flange and display panel, are then inserted downwardly through the slot 54. As a result the display panel is held in an upright position as is best indicated in Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings.

Thus it will be seen that a display is provided which includes a series of superimposed shelves and which can be produced with little difiiculty and at relatively low cost. It is extremely simple to set up the display as it is formed of a single piece of corrugated paperboard or the like. When properly assembled the shelves may support a substantial weight due to the fact that they are held in spaced parallel relation by the vertical partition panels.

In accordance with the patent statutes we have described the principles of construction and operation of our display, and while we have endeavored to set forth the est embodiment thereof, We desire to have it understood that obvious changes may be made within the scope of the following claims without departing from the spirit of our invention.

We claim:

1. A display including a pair of generally Ushaped members including upper and lower shelf panels and a vertical connecting member connecting opposed edges of said panels, a means hingedly connecting said U-shaped members along an edge therein opposite the vertical connecting members, and a pair of partition flaps foldably connected to certain of said shelf panels along lines of fold at right angles to said connected edges intermediate the sides thereof and folded vertically between said shelf panels to hold the same in properly spaced relationship.

2. The construction described in claim 1 and including cans for locking said partition panels in vertical positron.

3. The construction described in claim 1 and including a display panel extending upwardly substantially in the plane of the vertical connecting members.

4. A display including a pair of generally U-shaped horizontal, superposed shelf members, each shelf member including a pair of generally parallel shelf panels and a vertical connecting member connecting said shelf panels, means foldably connecting the uppermost shelf panel of the lower shelf member to the lowermost shelf panel of the upper shelf member, vertical partition panels foldably connected to certain of said shelf panels along fold lines at substantially right angles to the planes of the connecting members and intermediate the sides thereof, said partition panels extending between said shelf panels and holding the same in parallel spaced horizontal relationship.

5. The construction described in claim 4 and including locking means for holding side partition panels in right angular relation to said shelf panels.

6. A display including a pair of shelf forming members, each including a pair of spaced, horizontal shelf panels and a vertical connecting member connecting parallel edges thereof, means connecting an edge of the lower shelf forming member to an edge of the upper shelf forming member, a pair of partition panels cut from the stock forming certain of said shelf panels. and folding into right angular relation with the shelf panel to which it is hinged, said partition panels extending vertically on a plane substantially normal to the plane of said connecting members, said partition panels extending between the shelf panels and holding the same in parallel spaced relationship.

7. The structure described in claim 6 and including means for locking said partition panels in vertical position.

8. A display including substantially U-shaped shelf forming members each including a top shelf panel, a bottom shelf panel, and a rear connecting member connecting the rear edges of said panels, means foldably connecting the forward edges of said shelf forming members and connecting the bottom panel of the upper shelf forming member to the top panel of the bottom shelf forming member, partition panels extending between said top and bottom panels, a shelf panel foldably connected to the forward edge of the top panel of the upper shelf forming member, a flange foldably connected to the rear edge of said last named shelf panel, and a display panel foldably connected to said flange, said flange and display panel extending through a slot in said upper shelf forming member.

References cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,841,753 Merkle Jan. 19, 1932 1,913,655 Benoit June 13, 1933 2,256,339 Fallert Sept. 16, 1941 2,535,160 Roach Dec. 26, 1950 2,565,146 Okon Aug. 21, 1951 2,597,846 Reeser May 27, 1952 2,620,118 Lillie Dec. 2, 1952 2,685,963 Lorenc Aug. 10, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 423,372 Great Britain Jan. 31, 1935. 

